Chester County Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Prison for Possessing Unregistered Explosive Devices

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kevin Krebs, 32, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello for possessing unregistered explosive devices.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in October of last year, charged by information in December with one count of possession of an unregistered firearm or destructive device, and pleaded guilty the same month.

As detailed in court filings and statements, on June 14, 2025, Krebs was arrested by the West Chester Police Department for carrying a firearm without a license. Two days later, Chester County Detectives executed a state search warrant at Krebs's residence and discovered what appeared to be an improvised explosive device ("IED"), specifically a pipe bomb, and related materials, in a garage attached to the premises.

Bomb technicians responded, examined the device, and determined that it contained nails and screws, which are frequently placed inside IEDs to serve as shrapnel. As the search continued, investigators located multiple additional IEDs, other explosive materials, and related components.

The recovered items yielded a total of six destructive devices and 10 improvised explosive detonators. Investigators also recovered eight one-pound orange plastic containers containing suspected ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder, a binary explosive mixture that forms an ammonium nitrate and aluminum explosive when combined and is classified as a regulated explosive.

This case was investigated by the Chester County District Attorney's Office, FBI Philadelphia's Newtown Square Resident Agency, and the West Chester Police Department, with the assistance of the Montgomery County, FBI, and ATF Bomb Squads, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Frank Menna.

The commonwealth's case against Krebs is still pending.